Fubara, who took office in May 2023, succeeded Wike and was previously the accountant-general under Wike’s administration. Despite Wike’s support during the governorship election, their relationship soured shortly after Fubara assumed office. This rift has significantly impacted the Rivers State House of Assembly, with 27 members loyal to Wike defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in December 2023, according to News360 Nigeria.

During a visit to Okorinama West, a leader of the APC in Port Harcourt, Amaechi, who served as governor of Rivers State from 2007 to 2015, expressed his decision not to support either Fubara or Wike. 

“A lot of our supporters that can’t stand hunger have joined either Sim or Wike. I will not join them. I will not join Sim, I will not join Wike,” Amaechi said. He emphasized that political figures rely heavily on grassroots support, suggesting that neither Fubara nor Wike would hold their current influence without it. 

“What Sim thinks is popularity today is because he is anti-Wike. That is his popularity, not that Sim is the best man that has happened on earth. It is because he is anti-Wike and it is because the state is tired of Wike,” he added.

Amaechi pointed out that Wike’s rise to popularity was also due to his opposition to Amaechi following their fallout. The two politicians became adversaries after Amaechi defected to the APC and supported Muhammadu Buhari for president in 2015, while Wike, then the PDP governorship candidate, backed Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid.